Monopods are not useless bits of kit, despite being one legged. They are in fact a great tool for the hiker or action photographer, when carrying light or needing to move on the shoot are required. I will briefly run through the 679B.

I got this on sale and thought it might as well be worth giving it a go for my 2.8 80-200mm. It worked wonders.

The 679B is 400g in weight and extends to 154cm and closes to 48cm. It is well built and sturdy, so unsurprisingly it can take 4.5kg of kit. This is sufficient for most needs, until you reach the very large telephotos. There is a rubber grip on the top of the shaft and this makes handling on a cold day far more comfortable.

I added the 234RC to my set up to be able to quickly release by camera for handholding during indoor ballroom photography. I found the 234RC was more expensive than the 679B, but then I did purchase the latter on sale. The 234RC is a great addition; do not underestimate the convenience of a quick-release plate when you're shooting an unpredictable subject and might need to switch to handholding in a flash. Panning was excellent with this set-up and the plastic rubberised foot allowed for good pivoting.

This was a bargain addition to my kit, and although not the best monopod available by all means, I would recommend it for the photographer who doesn't have a heavy camera set-up, requires a compromise between mobility and stability, and is on a budget; the 679B certainly filled my criterion. It also taught me that a monopod isn't useless - I had dismissed them and I admit that was a misconstrued notion.